Can Art Shift Environmental Attitudes? Measuring Its Influence
Bob Turner, an emeritus professor at Colgate University, discusses how to assess whether environmental art changes people's beliefs and actions. He notes that measurement must be specific to the audience, setting, exposure type, and time frame. Visual works may be especially effective at stirring emotions and teaching viewers about environmental issues, and evaluations should draw on psychological and behavioral theory.
Bob Turner, emeritus professor of economics and environmental studies at Colgate University, studies where art and environmental awareness meet. He argues that judging environmental art’s influence requires narrowing the question to a specific audience, place, exposure type, and time horizon, rather than seeking one universal answer.
Measurement, he says, should rest on behavioral theory—such as the Theory of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm Theory, or norm-activation models—and must address confounding factors. Visual art may be especially able to evoke emotion and teach environmental topics, with stronger effects among people who do not already hold strong pro-environment views.
This story may help community leaders, policymakers, artists, and evaluators think more carefully about claims that environmental art changes beliefs or actions. If they adopt audience-specific, theory-based measurement, programs could be assessed more honestly, potentially improving public health and environmental communication. Audiences not already strongly pro-environment could be most affected, since visual works may stir emotion and learning. However, effects may depend on setting, exposure, and time, so broad societal impact remains uncertain.